FREE HomeBUYER Reports

5 Factors That Decide Your Credit ScoreCredit scores range between 200 and 800, with scores above 620 considered desirable for obtaining a mortgage. The following factors affect your score: Your payment history. Did you pay your credit card obligations on time? If they were late, then how late? Bankruptcy filing, liens, and collection activity also impact your history. How much you … Continued

6 Creative Ways to Afford a HomeInvestigate local, state, and national down payment assistance programs. These programs give qualified applicants loans or grants to cover all or part of your required down payment. National programs include the Nehemiah program, www.getdownpavment.com, and the American Dream Down Payment Fund from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, www.hud.gov. Explore seller financing. In some … Continued

7 Reasons to Own Your HomeTax breaks. The U.S. Tax Code lets you deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage and your property taxes, as well as some of the costs involved in buying your home. Appreciation. Real estate has long-term, stable growth in value. While year-to-year fluctuations are normal, median existing-home sale prices have increased on average 6.5 … Continued

8 Tips to Guide for Your Home SearchResearch before you look. Decide what features you most want to have in a home, what neighborhoods you prefer, and how much you’d be willing to spend each month for housing. Be realistic. It’s OK to be picky, but don’t be unrealistic with your expectations. There’s no such thing as a perfect home. Use your … Continued

Common Closing Costs for BuyersYou’ll likely be responsible for a variety of fees and expenses that you and the seller will have to pay at the time of closing. Your lender must provide a good-faith estimate of all settlement costs. The title company or other entity conducting the closing will tell you the required amount for: Down payment Loan … Continued

Common First-Time Home Buyer MistakesThey don’t ask enough questions of their lender and end up missing out on the best deal. They don’t act quickly enough to make a decision and someone else buys the house. They don’t find the right agent who’s willing to help them through the homebuying process. They don’t do enough to make their offer … Continued

Lender Checklist: What You Need for a MortgageW-2 forms – or business tax return forms if you’re self-employed – for the last two or three years for every person signing the loan. Copies of at least one pay stub for each person signing the loan. Account numbers of all your credit cards and the amounts for any outstanding balances. Copies of two … Continued

What You Can Do to Improve Your CreditCredit scores, along with your overall income and debt, are big factors in determining whether you’ll qualify for a loan and what your loan terms will be. So, keep your credit score high by doing the following: Check for and correct any errors in your credit report. Mistakes happen, and you could be paying for … Continued

Meet Terri Hunt

Terri Hunt has been a Leading Top Producer in the Northwest Suburbs since 1986 with over $300 Million in career sales, and over 1000 career real estate transactions. She is also in the Top 1/2 of 1% of Realtors in the United States. [Read More...]

Meet Justin Hunt

Justin Hunt combines his comprehensive knowledge of the real estate market and industry, with truly personalized and professional service. He takes great pride in every successful transaction. [Read More...]